Over Nine Exciting Titles to See Big Screens Throughout 2019

This New Year offers over thirty horror films to salivate over and to pare it down to the essential ten is tough. There's no denying some works are a must, especially adaptations of Stephen King's works, and not all of these comic book to film adaptations are considered essential viewing. This list offers a different take than the usual, and I suggest the following as must-sees, including two from Asia.

Mojin: The Worm Valley Jan. 4th (Limited Release)

Many adaptations of the Chinese horror-fantasy novel, Ghost Blows Out the Light have been made over the years. Mojin: The Worm Valley is the continuation of a saga. It follows after the last film, Lost Legend where the team is now seeking to break the Ghost Eye curse. The tone of these works is blockbuster action adventure than pure horror. However, the supernatural elements put the execution behind the remake of The Mummy (Tom Cruise) to shame, Ancient Egyptian influences notwithstanding.

I can buy the idea of communist zombie soldiers more. This new film has the team searching for the Tomb of Emperor Xian, and the undead are everywhere! True to this film's namesake, they are going to encounter a giant-sized worm, and the question of how they are going to deal with it hopefully does not require explosives.

Weretiger Jan. 5th (Limited Release)

There's a campiness to this Burmese movie which I like. Not only is it exotic, but also, I feel its about time other shapeshifting terrors are getting explored! Here, lions are feared more than wolves. Temptresses can do more harm if the trailer is any indication.

This film is slated for a wider release this year. It is directed by Maung Myo Min and stars: Yan Aung, Min Maw Kunn, Thu Htoo San and Nyi Min Htet.

Pet Sematary April 5th

Just because It (2018) was a solid hit amongst the remake crowd, Pet Sematary is next on the list to get made to film. Technically, it has been on the planning board since 2010 and to get the right talents behind it was tough. If the trailers are any indication, the cat came back the very next day and it does not want to go away.

There's an ancient evil afoot, and we never know exactly what's causing these creatures to come back to life. Those who read the book knows where the story will head; it's a very dark path to the cemetery where the neighbourhood's pets are buried, and as the trailer indicates: "sometimes dead is better." I feel the better tagline is: Those woods ... belong to something else.

The film stars Jason Clarken (Brotherhood), Amy Seimetz (Family Tree), and John Lithgow ("3rd Rock from the Sun") and of the three, Lithgow's performance is worth noting. He's been knocking it out of the park with playing roles outside of the comedy realm, and that alone makes seeing this worth it.

The Curse of Llarona April 15th

James Wan has moved on; instead of directing, he's producing, helping up-and-coming talents get comfortable in the chair. Michael Chaves has a tale borrowing from Mexican folklore to scare audiences with. The La Llorona might be remotely related to the banshee. Their piercing cries cause misfortune to those who hear her; she's a female ghost. When alive, her deeds of accidentally drowning her children meant cursing her afterlife; Heaven does not forgive and she is doomed to wander the earth until her children's souls can be saved.

Variations of the tale include seeing this spirit steal the souls of other children, hopefully making them her own. With this film, Linda Cardellini ("Mad Men") is targeted, and whether she can save them will be the challenge. Patricia Velásquez has an uncredited role in this film, and if she's the Llarona, Hell hath no fury than this ghost scorned. She did not have much to do in The Mummy, and hopefully, this film will give her more bite.

Brightburn May 24th

This work is perhaps the only super-hero type film to make the list since it turns the tables on the genre. When a human-looking baby from another world crash-lands on Earth and is found by a kind couple, they should be able to raise him, right?

Yes, the tale takes on shades of Superman, but wherever he came from or whatever the motives were to send this lad to this planet, only seeing more of this movie will tell. It takes on shades of terror as this boy is out to do bad things and there's nobody who can stop him. This idea was conceived by Brian and Mark Gunn, and together with James (Guardians of the Galaxy), are producing.

David Yarovesky is at the helm directing and this work has my interest because it's rare to find a superhero film that totally subverts all that's bright and cheery.

M. Night Shyamalan's Glass (Jan 18) deserves special mention in this entry as it's not a based on any published works. This work is third in the trilogy of films. Although many years have passed between the making of the first and second, this work deserves honorable mention.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters May 31st

The showdown will no doubt be huge, and the stakes: who is the ultimate ruler of Earth? Will it be Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah or Godzilla? Most fans, including myself, will cheer for Big G, even though the money is on the three-headed behemoth from space.

The question I have here is in how will they fare when the organization Monarch is monitoring their activity and are attempting to find a means to keep them sedated. This movie is more about seeing an epic fight between the behemoths than about the organization trying to keep the world's current dominant species–humanity–from going extinct.

Annabelle 3 July 3rd

I have been a sucker for The Conjuring series since day one; to see the cases of the Warrens adapted for film is always worth a chuckle. They were not heavily involved in the Enfield Poltergeist case, but in what I always get curious about is to find out what's next in the files that are to be adapted.

James Wan is part of the creative team behind these films, and to see the studio and him go down the speculative route was the best choice and I'll be there for Annabelle 3. No plot details are revealed. Confirmed is the fact the Warrens (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) are back.

At the 2018 San Diego Comic Convention, Wan said the story is to take place after the doll's confinement. The idea sounds like a take on "Friday the 13th," the TV Series. With one sentient item trapped, perhaps others will awaken and cause problems for the Warrens.

Gary Dauberman returns to pen this threequel. He wrote the screenplays to the previous Annabelle films, in addition to The Nun. With his vision in how to guide the franchise very clear, this movie marks his directorial debut.

It: Chapter 2 September 6th

The remake of Stephen King's It for the big screen proves its possible to update a classic. The original is horribly dated, and the effects do not hold a candle to the scares created in Chapter One. The scares are real, and to see the Losers Club deal with an ancient shape-shifting evil is the stuff of legend.

The kids we saw from part one have grown up, and they are not the talents which we associate with from the late 70s and early 80s. This update will see Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and Bill Hader take the lead. Stuck in my head will be seeing Professor X take on a cosmic evil. If this can not be done in the X-men movies, then this film is the next best thing.

The Turning TBA (Expected 2019)

This modern adaptation of Henry James' novella The Turn of the Screw has me excited over all other works in this list for the simple reason this tale is the definitive ghost story. This author weaves his tales with a finesse that does not depend on the reader's imagination.

This work stars Mackenzie Davis (Blade Runner 2049), Finn Wolfhard ("Stranger Things"), and Brooklynn Prince (The Florida Project). With Wolfhard no stranger to the genre, he should feel right at home. This film also marks Stephen Spielberg's return to producing horror films, and that is enough to get me interested. He was reported to be on site to oversee the film is on track after a troubled start.


In Search of Darkness TBA (Expected end of 2019)

Every couple of years, a new documentary will emerge to explore why audiences love horror. This crowdfunded project aims to be the definitive look into the films of the 80s and interview the scream queens of back then.

The tagline of this work aims to: “the 1980s exploded onto our screens in a veritable feast of blood, sweat, and chills. Madmen, killers, and evil spirits mingled with aliens, demons and cursed dolls; horrific images burnt directly onto our retinas and etched permanently into our brains.”

“For the first time in Horror history, In Search of Darkness will bring together 80s icons, modern horror greats, popular YouTubers and Social Media Influencers to create the most complete retrospective documentary of the genre ever made. Together, they will bring their unique perspectives as we take a nostalgic journey back to revisit the unforgettable heroes, monsters, and movies that thrilled and chilled us.” I'm hopeful the finished work will see release by the end of the year.

It's also not too late to help fund this project either. To keep track of current happenings, please follow them at their Official Website, Kickstarter page or via Twitter: @80sHorrorDoc.


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